The duo behind METAL – a custom design and fabrication studio serving Jackson, Wyoming and the continental United States – are versatile artists, problem solvers, community collaborators, and, above all, metal virtuosos.

Claudette Jocelyn Stern and John Daniel Walters met at an iron pour in New Mexico and bonded over casting and the refitting of cars. Their polyglot approach to creativity and their parallel lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan (where she had raised her family and he moved to earn his MFA from the University of Michigan) lead to a few joint projects. Within months of working together on architectural and sculptural collaborations (photo, SteelGem), they had created a business plan and an LLC, rooted in their shared interest in the sculptural and in making lasting designs of both beauty and function.

Beyond a fabrication studio, METAL became a community cultural hub, a place where metal workers, artisans, engineers, musicians, poets, dancers, and filmmakers, came together around creative, scientific and environmental exchange. As fabricators, they produce a parade of exquisite items—decorative, architectural, sculptural, and even the occasional restoration—and install them in every conceivable venue, from commercial outlets to residential homes and municipal buildings. A METAL poster from those Ann Arbor days sums up their wide embrace: “We forge it. Restore it. Sell it. Love it.”

At its core, METAL operates on respect: Respect for the creative process; respect for the environment and the resources spent to mine and extract metal from ore; respect for the longevity of metal when cared for properly. Claudette and John see themselves as caretakers of this precious resource. They tend and live with metal while growing as METAL.

After four years in Ann Arbor, they had outgrown their shop and began scouting for a new venue. Looking far and wide for 18 months, they visited Wyoming whereupon Jackson’s own Ben Roth encouraged them to seriously consider the Jackson area. From the moment they landed at Jackson Hole Airport and met a man at the rental car counter—who ultimately introduced them to their current shop space—they sensed that western Wyoming would be their new home. Within four months, they had packed up their tools and machinery aboard four 18-wheelers and moved into their new 4,000 sq. f. shop. “We were meant to come West,” Claudette says.

In the Tetons, Claudette and John have found a community of high-caliber collaborators. Working with architects, builders, designers and individuals, they help guide their clients’ ideas toward realization. Whether artistic or utilitarian, their products reflect their close attention to detail. They pride themselves on the care they take with every step of the process, from client communications and cost saving recommendations, to three dimensional computer drawings, and of course, the pro-

-duction of distinctive objects. Specializing in custom commissions, rarely do they create the same design twice, unless they are working on their tables, a stable of clean designs that come in different sizes, functions and patinas. METAL offers nine different custom table designs available for purchase on their website.

From the Spence Law Firm in Jackson to a tiny house in Alpine, METAL applies passion to each and every commission. For the law firm they fabricated a modern plate shelving system that appears to float on the irregular surface of the historic log wall in adjoining conference rooms. For the tiny house, they designed the custom cabinetry and created copper accents and pulls for an immaculate yet compact kitchen. Another client wanted to incorporate his Viking heritage into the detailing of his family home, specifically the front entrance. A skilled draftsman, John drew inspiration from British rubbings and the work of Michael Sandle to create two life-sized drawings for what would become the two cast-bronze panels on either side of the client’s front door.

For both artists, METAL represents a creative confluence. Claudette has spent her career exploring a myriad of mediums, from filmmaking and producing to small press work and jewelry making, before exploring large-scale metal works—a full-circle evolution considering her father manufactured precision bearings. John has always worked with fire. Starting out as a ceramic artist, he made large-scale installation pieces. In between commissions, he restores cars like the 1951 Plymouth Concord he scored at a Michigan pawnshop or the VW wagon that he’s currently converting. On one recent Friday afternoon, he and Claudette took their beloved pup Rosie on a spin in the Plymouth, its hot rod growl fading into a purr as its burnished exterior blended into the tawny mountain surrounds.

Home on the range indeed.